1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic wiring components and, more specifically, to a nano-scale conductor Litz wire used in ultra-high frequency applications.
2. Background of the Invention
Alternating electric currents tend to distribute themselves within a conductor so that the current density near the surface of the conductor is greater than the current density nearer to the center. This phenomenon is often referred to as the “skin effect.” In high frequency applications, the skin effect becomes more pronounced, especially in such devices as inductors and transformers, resulting in a substantial power loss.
The skin effect may be reduced by use of a Litz wire (short for “Litzendraht wire”), which consists of a plurality of relatively thin wires that are individually coated with an insulating film and then woven or braided. By doing so, a Litz wire increases the overall surface area of the conductor, thereby reducing the overall skin effect in the resulting cable. Also, in a Litz wire, the ratio of impedance to resistance is increased, relative to a solid conductor having the same cross sectional area, resulting in a higher Q factor at higher frequencies. Q factor is a measure of energy dissipation in resonant systems in which a higher Q factor indicates less energy dissipation.
At high UHF frequencies, conductor losses increase due to the skin effect, even with conventional copper Litz wires. This is because at UHF frequencies, the skin effect in the individual strands become so pronounced that the overall power loss becomes significant. One solution to this problem would be to create list wires using ultra-fine copper wires. However, the required diameter of a copper wire used as a component wire of a Litz wire for UHF applications would be so fine that it would not be able to withstand the stresses imparted on it as a result of conventional manufacturing processes and ordinary use.
As antennas used in communications are miniaturized for inclusion in integrated circuits, they exhibit proportionally more capacitance than their larger-scale counterparts. This capacitance must be matched with an inductance for such antennas to be useful in communications circuits. Currently, the minimum size of an antenna is limited by the amount of inductance that can be used to match the capacitance exhibited by the antenna. A similar problem exists when trying to miniaturize amplifiers. However, no inductor exists that is both small enough to work effectively with a miniature amplifier or antenna and capable of providing sufficient inductance to match the capacitance of the miniature antenna or amplifier.
Carbon nanotubes are molecular-scale tubes of graphitic carbon. They were first synthesized using a carbon arc evaporator in 1991. Initially, such tubes contained at least two layers and often many more.
A class of carbon nanotube, the single-walled nanotube (also referred to as “SWNT”), was discovered in 1993. Single walled nanotubes are generally narrower than the multi-walled tubes and have a range of exceptional physical properties, both in terms of strength and in the manner in which they conduct electricity.
Carbon nanotubes employ a graphitic molecular structure and employ sp2 carbon bonds, in which each atom is joined to three neighbors. A carbon nano-tube is essentially a rolled-up single graphitic layer in which the atoms along one edge of a graphitic layer bond to their corresponding atoms along the opposite edge.
There are several configurations of carbon nanotubes, that depend on the amount of heliecity (degree to which a helical structure is exhibited) found in the structure of the atoms in the nanotube. One configuration, referred to as the “armchair” configuration, exhibits little heliecity; whereas another configuration, referred to as the “chiral” configuration have six atom carbon hexagons arranged in a helix. The structure of the nanotube determines some of its physical properties.
Currently, the arc-evaporation method produces the highest quality nanotubes. It involves passing a large current through two graphite electrodes in an atmosphere of helium. Some of the graphite in the electrodes vaporizes and then condenses on the walls of the reaction vessel and on one of the electrodes (the cathode). Single-walled nanotubes are produced when cobalt and nickel is added to one of the electrodes (the anode).
Carbon nanotubes may also be made by passing a carbon-containing gas at a suitable temperature and pressure over nano-scale particles of a catalyst (such as iron, nickel or cobalt). The particles help the breakdown the gaseous molecules into carbon, thereby causing a tube to grow with a metal particle at the tip. Another method for making carbon nanotubes involves using a powerful laser to vaporize a metal-graphite target. The catalysis method allows for accurate placement of the nanotubes and more direct control over the manner of their growth.
The strength of the carbon-carbon bonds in a nanotube gives them amazing mechanical properties. For example nanotubes can have a stiffness that is five times more than that of steel and have a tensile strength that is about fifty times that of steel. Yet on a per unit volume basis, they weigh about one-fourth that of steel.
Electrically, a carbon nanotube can act as either a conductor or a semi-conductor, depending on its configuration. In certain configurations, they move electrons through a ballistic charge transport mechanism. As a result, they experience minimal electrical resistance and, thus, generate a minimum amount of heat when conducting.
Therefore, there is a need for a conductor that exhibits minimal skin effect while being able to withstand ordinary stress from manufacturing and use.
There is also a need for a Litz wire that may be employed in passive components used in integrated circuits.